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CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 



By 
HENliY OLDYS, 

!<.''istanf, Bioloyical Survey. 



[Repkint FKo^r Ykarbook ok 1)ki>.\i;t.mi:nt ok Agriculture for 1906.] 



4548—07 



SH1NGT0N : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1907 



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'^ CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 165 

Traffic in domestic birds 166 

Traffic in foreign birds 168 

Number of birds imported 168 

How birds are secured ] 69 

How l)irds are shipped 1 70 

The retail trade in birds 171 

Species imported 171 

Canaries 1 72 

Parrots 1 74 

European birds 176 

Oriental Inrds 176 

African birds 178 

AustraUan birds 1 78 

Birds from South America, ^Mexico, and Cuba 179 

Birds bred in captivity 179 

( ){)portunity f ( tr A merican enterprise ] 80 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Page. 

Plate YHI. Methods of shipping and testing cage birds 170 

IX. Ladv (iould finch 178 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFK OF THE I NITEl) STATES. 

By Henkv Oldys, 
Assistant. Biological Surceij. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Three hundred thousand cag'e-birds, hirg-ely canaries, are annually 
imported into the United States. Some of these are destined foi- 
zoological parks and a few for private aviaries, hut the great majority 
find their wav into the hands of those who desire to have a cage-bird 
or two to brighten the home. This yearly influx of captive birds may 
seem large, considering the comparatively small number usually in 
evidence; but it must be remembered that they are scattered over an 
area of more than 3,000,000 square miles, and are distributed among a 
population of more than 80,000,000, which allows but 4 birds a year 
to every 1,000 persons, or about 400 birds to a city of the size of 
Columbus, Ohio. 

The practice of keeping live birds in continement is worldwide and 
extends so far back in history that the time of its origin is iniknown. 
It exists among the natives of tropical as well as temperate countries, 
was found in vogue on the islands of the Pacihc when they were flrst 
discovered, and was habitual with the Peruvians under the Incas and the 
Aztecs under Montezuma. Caged l)ii"ds were popular in classic Greece 
and Rome. The Alexandrian parrakeet- a I'ing-necked parrakeet of 
India— which is much fancied at the present daj', is said to have been 
tirst brought to Europe by one of tiie generals of Alexander the 
Great. Before this living birds had been kept b}^ the nations of west- 
ern Asia, and the voices of bulbuls and other attractive singers doubt- 
less added to the charms of the hanging gardens of Babylon, while 
in China and Japan the art of domesticating wild birds has been prac- 
ticed for many centuries. 

It is not difficult to account for the motive that underlies this wide- 
spread habit. The same spirit that leads to the domestication of wild 
flowers for adornment of the home and the pleasure derived from their 
beauty or fragrance is responsible for the similar transplanting of 
wild birds from their natural homes to those of their captors, and 
the parallel extends to tiie subsequent production of new varieties. 

As a people, Americans have less of this spirit than prevails else- 
where. Despite the multitudes of birds weekly entering the country — 
a single vessel will occasionally deliver ten or tifteen thousand — our 

165 



166 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

interest in avicultuml pursuits is comparative!}^ slight. In Europe 
aviaries are numerous and their owners maintain a common interest 
by means of avicultural organizations and periodicals. Bird shows 
are held annually or oftener in London, Berlin, and many other Euro- 
pean cities. A friendly but keen rivalry prevails among the owners 
of aviaries as to which shall first succeed in breeding species that have 
not previously been bred in captivitv or in producing new hj^brids. 
The journals and magazines devoted to aviculture serve as a medium 
of exchange of methods and experiences and keep their readers in touch 
with each other. In Germany, particularly, the practice of keeping, 
rearing, and studying cage-birds is very common. In man}^ a dwell- 
ing one room is set apart for birds, and these bird rooms are not con- 
fined to a particular class, but are found in the homes of people of 
every rank and condition. As long ago as 1880 some 200 societies 
of amateurs existed, and several weekly publications and magazines 
devoted to birds attested the general interest in avicultural pursuits. 

The breeding of cage-birds for sale is a regular occupation in several 
parts of Europe. Germany produces hundreds of thousands of sing- 
ing canaries in the Harz Mountains, those of 8t. Andreasburg being 
unrivaled songsters ; in England, Scotland, and Belgium fancy vari- 
eties of canaries are regularly bred for the trade; and at the Royal 
Societj^'s zoological gardens of Antwerp, Belgium, the breeding of 
many species of foreign cage-birds is systematically conducted. 

The United States has few aviaries, and most of these are devoted to 
pheasants and other large birds. For a few years an avicultural peri- 
odical was published, but the support it received was apparently insuf- 
ficient, and at present there seem to ])e no periodicals and very few 
associations strictly devoted to aviculture. Hence in this country 
there is not that community of interest and information that charac- 
terizes the avocation in Europe. America supports a few small shows, 
mainly exhibitions of canaries; and small exhibitions of cage birds, 
mostly canaries, are usually held as adjuncts to the annual poultry 
shows of New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, and other cities. 
The breeding of canaries and cage-birds for the trade in any numbers 
is practically unknown on this side of the Atlantic. 

TRAFFIC IN DOMESTIC BIRDS. 

The once extensive trade in native American birds has dwindled to 
the vanishing point. Formerly mockingbirds, bluebirds, cardinals, 
tanagers, indigo birds, and nonpareils were caught in large numbers 
and sold either here or abroad, and more or less trade in other species 
prevailed. Bluebirds, which are known as blue robins or blue 
nightingales in England and France, were imported into P^ngland some 
time before 1869, as in that year they were first bred in the London 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES. 167 

Zoological Gardens, They arc regarded with much favor ])y amateurs 
and have been repeatedly bred in private aviaries. Mockingbirds 
were bred in French aviaries before 1873. While intolerant of cage 
mates, they are much valued in Europe for their song, which, how- 
ever, is there considered inferior to that of the nightingale — a judg- 
ment partly assisted, perhaps, b}^ patriotic bias and association. 
Scarlet tanagers and cardinals are ranked very high in Europe, 
and frequently win prizes in bird shows. Evidence of the esteem as 
cage-birds in which the latter are held is shown by the fact that they 
are listed on the price list of a London bird dealer for September, 
1906, at more than $5 apiece. Of interest in this connection is the 
statement of Gemelli Careri. quoted by Nuttall in his Manual of 
Ornithology published in 1832, that "the Spaniards of Havana in a 
time of public distress and scarcity bought so many of these birds 
[cardinals], with which a vessel was partly freighted from Florida, 
that the sum expended at $10 apiece amounted to no less than 
$18,000." Indigo birds and nonpareils are valued for their attractive 
plumage. Of the latter thousands were annually exported to Europe, 
where they sold for $1.50 to $2 apiece. 

In consequence of the continual trapping to supply the increasing 
demand, several of these birds became rare in localities where once 
thev had been common. Nearly every State had a law protecting 
nongame birds, but such laws were at that time imperfectly framed 
and ineffectively enforced. The usual exception authorizing the keep- 
ing of birds in cages as domestic pets was unaccompanied b}' any 
restriction on trade, which, in consequence, flourished. Imperfect as 
these laws were, they were rendered still less effective by the absence 
of public interest in their observance and adequate provision for their 
enforcement. Gradually, however, the influence of the bird-protec- 
tive movement began to make itself felt and the laws were improved. 
One State after another adopted a model law framed b}^ a committee 
of the American Ornithologists'' Union, which instead of simpl}^ pro- 
hibiting the killing of a few birds specitically named, as had formerh' 
been done, prohibited the killing, capture, or possession of all birds 
other than game birds and a few injurious species, and interdicted all 
trade in them. The interest in bird life awakened by the efforts of 
this organization and the various State Audubon societies caused 
these laws to be more or less vigorously enforced, and the trade in 
native birds declined proportionately. Supplies were still o])tained, 
however, from States that had not adopted modern laws, and the 
export trade to Europe continued brisk. One by one these remain- 
ing strongholds were carried by the forces of bird protection until 
Anally, in 1904, Louisiana, the only State left from which birds were 
procurable, adopted the model law, and now, beyond a few surrepti- 
tious and illegal shipments, the domestic and foreign trade in native 



168 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

Aincriciui l)irds has })een ontirel}' al)olish('(l. Occasionally a small 
consio-nuient of mockingbirds or cardinals is smuggled to Hamburg 
or some other European port, but the life of the trade is gone. 

TRAFFIC IN FOREIGN BIRDS. 

The importation of foreign cage-l)irds has grown to its present pro- 
portion, not only in this country, but in Europe as well, within the 
last iifty years. [Jp to the middle of the last century, apart from 
parrots and some other of the larger species, few birds were imported 
into Europe, and as late as 1860 only about 00 different kinds of for- 
eign birds were })rought in, and these in moderate numbers. But 
about this time a rapid increase began, and bj'- 1880 the species im- 
ported approximated 700 and the individuals from 500,000 to 800,000. 
The Japanese ro))in, a favorite cage-bird of to-day, was first brought 
to the London Zoological Gardens in 1886, and the shell parrakeet of 
Australia, now one of the best known of exotic birds, and sold at whole- 
sale in London for about ^^1.37 a pair, was first brought to England 
by Gould in LS40, and for the next ten ^^ears commanded §100 to 1125 
a pair. 

In the United States the growth of importation has undergone a 
similai' development, lagging, however, slightly behind the Euro- 
pean growth. In both cases the sudden invasion of the markets by 
foreign birds was due to the advantages of quick transportation. When 
supplies from distant lands were brought )\v sailing vessels but few 
birds survived the long ^'oyages. But the steamship afforded oppor- 
tunity for conveying birds with speed and safety, and dealers were 
quick to avail themselves of the changed conditions. As long ago jis 
1865 there was a brisk American trade in foreign cage-birds of all 
kinds, and by 1880 this had so increased that a single dealer in New 
York City handled 70,000 canaries each season. 

NUMBEU ni- I'.IRDS I.Ml'ORTED. 

The decline in the ti'ade in domestic cage-birds has doubtless 
stimulated the trade in foreign cage-birds, which advanced from 
235,433 imported under permit of the Department of Agriculture in 
the year ending June 30, 1902, to 322,297 in the year ending June 
30, 1906, an increase of 37 per cent in four years. At the beginning of 
this period the model bird-protective law previouslv mentioned liad 
been adopted by 16 States; at its close it was in force in 35. 

Of the birds imported in the year ending June 30, 1906, 274,911 
were canaries and 47,383 miscellaneous birds. The canaries were 
nearly all raised in Germany. Thirty-three per cent of the miscella- 
neous birds were from the Orient, 30 per cent from Europe, 22 per cent 
from Australia, 7 per cent from (Xiba and Mexico, 6 per cent from 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES. 169 

Africa, and 1 per cent from Soutii America. The remaining- 1 per 
cent were of unknown orioin. In addition to these, 2,700 canaries, 
mostl}' from Germany, and about 6,000 parrots from various tropical 
countries came in without permit, no permit being' issued for these 
birds when the}' are unaccompanied by others. 

HOW" BIRDS ARE .SECl'REn. 

A peep behind the scenes is always interesting', and when we see 
diverse and remote regions of the world ])ouring their treasures of 
bird lif(i into our country a desire is awakened to know by what means 
this is accomplished. 

In some cases the method is as old as the history of maritime com- 
mei'ce. From the time when vessels })cgan to make voyages to other 
countries sailors have brought back trophies of various sorts, inchid- 
ing specimens of the fauna of distant lands. Some birds are still thus 
I)rouglit in and are bought by dealers in th(» various ports of entry. 

This method, somewhat systematized, prevails at San Francisco, 
where the trade, temporarily suspended by the earthquake and tiro, is 
now beginning to revive. Supplies are here ol)tained from the crews 
of steamers coming from China and flapan, who make a regular business 
of transporting- cage-birds, usually under an arrangement with the 
steamship companies by whicli they are employed wdiereby freight 
is j)aidoutof the proceeds of sales. The birds thus imported are con- 
siderable in number, but few in species, being- mainh^ Ja\'a sparrows, 
diamond sparrows, Chinese mockingbirds, and other common kinds. 

But most of the birds imported are secui'ed }>y more highly organized 
methods. Several of the leading importers maintain forces of men to 
secure the desired birds either in their native haunts or in European 
ports to which they are brought by the agents of othei- importers. 

Parrots are g-enerally taken while still in the nest. During the nest- 
ing- season the leading AuKn-ican houses send men to Cuba, Mexico, or 
South America to ojjtain stock. Headipiarters are established by these 
agents at some point conveniiMit to the parrot country and natives are 
employed to secure the young birds, which are forwarded to the United 
States in periodical shipments. Agents have sometimes been sent from 
this country to Africa to secure supplies of the favorite African 
gray parrot, but these are usually obtained in European ports from 
vessels arriving with supplies for tlie large European houses. 

Small l)irds, other than canaries, are g-euerally captured with nets. 
Expert netters continually visit remote regions in the interest of whole- 
sale houses of Hamburg, London, Liverpool, and other large cities of 
Europe. Similar expeditions are dispatched from New York and 
Philadelphia to Cuba and Mexico and occasionally to more distant 
lands — even India; but the principal American houses maintain con- 
nections with establishments in (rermany, through which their supplies 
of Old A\'orld and South American l)irds are more commonly procured. 
4.J4S— 07 2 



170 YEARBOOK OF THR DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

Canaries are obtained by agents who visit breeders in the Harz 
Mountains, the Tyrol, and other parts of Europe. A few, however, 
are imported at San Francisco from breeders in China and Japan. 

now BIKDS AKE SHIPPED. 

Most of the small birds received from Africa and Australia are 
shipped in laro-e boxes especially prepared for the purpose (see PI. 
VIII, tig. 1). These boxes are of different sizes and accommodate from 
1 to 125 or 150 birds, according to size of box or of birds shipped. 
Shell parrakeets are sent from Australia in especial!}' large boxes, 
sometimes as many as 500 making the journey in a single box. The 
birds so shipped are of a peaceable disposition and may be caged 
together without fear of their injuring one another ; but some birds, 
such as bullfinches, goldfinches, and male canaries, are quarrelsome, 
and each V)ird has to be placed in a separate cage. 

Canaries are contined in small wicker cages, seven of which are 
strung on a stick, constituting what is technically known as a row. 
When shipped across the ocean these rows are craied and a linen or 
burlap sack specially made for the purpose is placed about each crate 
(see PI. VIII, tigs. 2 and 3). A crate usuallj^ contains 33 rows. To para- 
phrase the old riddle — every sack has 33 rows, every row has 7 cages, 
every cage has 1 canary (or sometimes 2 if the occupants are the more 
peaceable females). Often more than two dozen crates are shipped 
in one consignment. Each of these must be opened ever}" day of the 
voyage, every row removed, and food and water placed in the cages. 
In this daily re-crating the rows are rearranged so that the benefits of 
outside positions may be more evenly distributed among the birds. 

On arrival in port consignments of birds (which pay no duty) are 
entered at the custom-house under permit from the Department of 
Agriculture, usually secured in advance by the importer. The larger 
shipments are generally examined l)y one of the special inspectors of 
the Department stationed at the principal ports of entry. Nearly all 
shipments subject to such inspection enter at New York and Phila- 
delphia. After the inspector has examined a consignment to ascer- 
tain that it contiiins no objectionable species, and has noted, for sub- 
sequent report to the Department, the luimber and kinds of birds it 
comprises, the importer is free to dispose of it.- 

It is the aim of the importer to sell his stock as quickly as possible, 
to diminish his losses by death and so increase his profit. It is esti- 
mated that the mortality en route and in the store among some of the 
inoro delicate species of birds, such as African finches, may reach 14 
per cent. 

Zoological parks and aviaries are usually supplied direct by the 
importers, but the general public is reached ])y way of the retailer. 



Yearbook U. S. Dept, of Atrticulture 1906. 



Plate VIII. 




Methods of Shipping and Testing Cage Birds. 
[1.— Cage for sliipping small birds (see p. 17ii). 2.— ( T.ite of caiiari<'s reaily for sliipnient 
(see p. 170). 3.— Crate of canaries partly open to sliow rows of cuKes (see p. 170). 
4. — Testing- siiigiiiy of caiiaries (see 71. 173 1.] 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES. 171 

Many small bird stores are scattered over the country, and some of 
the large department stores have added birds to the great variety of 
merchandise they handle. Small consignments are shipped to retail 
dealers by express (at double rates). In the cages or boxes are placed 
water and food sufficient to last until arrival at destination. Some- 
times, when the distances are unusually long, the express messengers 
suppl}^ fresh water and food en route, and large consignments are 
often accompanied by agents of the importers. Several of the princi- 
pal importers have branch establishments at various points, such as 
New Orleans, Chicago, and San Francisco, which till western orders. 

THE RKTAIL TRADE IN BIRDS. 

While retailers do more or less business during the entire year, 
three well-defined seasons are established. In February canaries 
begin to breed, and for the first two or three months of the year the 
trade in breeding canaries, especiall}^ females, is brisk. About the 
time it subsides the first shipments of young parrots arrive from Cuba 
and Mexico. These at once take the stage and hold it until the mid- 
dle of August, when it is no longer possible to secure young birds. 
Interest tlien turns chiell}^ to singing canaries and the many other small 
cage-birds that are imported. The sale for these grows greater and 
greater and reaches its maximum by Christmastide, after which it 
abruptly declines. Many dealers probably make more sales in Decem- 
ber than during all the rest of the year. In the Christmas season of 
1905 one Philadelphia department store sold 4,000 canaries, besides 
other cage-birds. 

From the character of the demand for cage-birds it is evident that 
the retail trade is, as a rule, not enough by itself to yield a profitable 
income. It is usually, therefore, combined with some trade of an 
allied nature. In retail bird stores one may usually find fowls of 
various kinds, pheasants, dogs, monkeys, squirrels, white mice, guinea- 
pigs, goldfish, and even lizards and snakes. The sale of food and 
cages also constitutes an item, and sometimes the proprietor acts as 
surgeon and physician to domestic pets. • 

SPECIES IMPORTED. 

During the j^ear ending June 30, 190G, more than 200 species of 
cage-birds were imported into the United States. These comprised 
canaries, parrots (under which term we may include parrakeets, cocka- 
toos, macaws, and lories), European birds, Oriental birds, African 
birds, Australian birds, and a few South American, Mexican, and 
Cuban birds. It is obviously impossible, in the space of the present 
article, to consider all these in detail; but a brief account of some of 
the most important will be of interest. 



172 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



CANARIES. 



So widcl}" known has the .sweet-singing canaiy become tliat should 
an inlial)itant of one of the civnlized countries of the world visit the 
Canary Ishxnds and hear the wild birds in their native home the strains 
would, in all probability, bring to the traveler memories of his own 
home. The clear and varied notes of this favorite singer are familiar 
to young and old, and many dwellings, from the great mansion to the 
obscure cottage, are alike brightened by their beauty. The position 
of the canaiy among cage-birds is unique — not only because of its 
widespread popularity, but also from the fact that centuries of domes- 
tication have rendered it peculiarly dependent on man. Its cage has 
become its natural home and to it li])erty would probably mean death. 

The bird is a native of the Canary Islands, the A.^ores, and Funchal 
(Madeira), and is said to have been brought from the Canaries to Spain 
and k(^pt as a cage-bird l\v the Spanish nobility shoi'tly ])efore the time 
of the discovery of America. Other accounts make Italy the first 
country into which it was introduced and place the time early in the 
.sixteenth century. It is sufficient for present piirposes to note that 
it has l)een domesticated and prized as a cage-l)ird for the past four 
centuries. The wild bird is smaller than the bird now so familiar, and 
is also dillerently colored, having less bright yellow and considerable 
olive and brownish in its coloring. Nor does it sing as sweetl3\ 
Nevertheless, it is so attractive that soon after its introduction it 
became a general favorite, and was bred so assiduously that it is said 
that by the beginning of the eighteenth century 27 different varieties 
were produced. It is interesting to note that canaries are now 
exported from England to the Canary Islands. 

The canar}' is a ver3\good imitator. Mature birds have been known 
to reproduce very closely th(^ songs of even such birds as chewinks, 
house wrens, and others, and the faculty has been utilized bv ])reeders 
to determine to a certain extent the quality or character of the song of 
a young bird. In (jermany young canaries have been associated with 
nightingales and in England with woodlarks to this end. But the 
method commonly employed at present is to place the voung bird with 
a canary that possesses a superior song and is kept solely for training 
purposes. The fine singers used for this purpose are called "cam- 
paninis" and command high prices. Singers are measured by the rich- 
ness and sweetness, not the strength, of their tones. Thus the voice 
of one of the choice St. Andreasburg '" rollers"" (which sell at whole- 
sale for $24 to $36 a dozen, according to season, while ordinary canaries 
range from $15 to |21 a dozen) could easily be drowned by the sing- 
ing of many an inferior canary. A single bird with a superior voice, 
especially a campanini, will sometimes connnand a price for which 
several dozen ordinarv siuiicrs can be bought. Ordinary female birds,- 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES, 173 

on the other hand, which are purchased mainly for breeding purposes, 
ma}^ be had as low as $6 a dozen at wholesale. 

As previously stated, singing canaries are bred in the Harz Moun- 
tains of Germany. Large numbers are raised by the cottagers of this 
region and are bought directly from them by buyers for the wholesale 
establishments of Germany and England and the German l)ranches of 
American establishments. How much the industry' means to the peas- 
ants near St. Andreasburg, the Brocken, and other localities in the 
Harz Mountains may he gathered from the fact that thirty years ago 
it was estimated that the trade amounted to $300,000 a year. 

Some canaries sing much more freely than others, and inuiiediately 
after the arrival of a consignment at the store of the importer the inter- 
esting process of testing the singing qualifications of the diti'erent 
individuals is begun. - Cages are piled one deep in a tier containing 40 
or 50 rows. In front of this large, somewhat semicircular pile, each 
cage containing a single occupant, sits the tester, watching and listen- 
ing (see PI. VIII, tig. 4). Many notes are to be heard, but it is difficult 
to determin(> from which of the manv scores of throats they proceed. 
This is the duty assigned the tester, and when he is certain that any 
particular bird is singing, he places a chalk mark on the cage contain- 
ing it. Marked cages are subsequently removed and their occupants are 
sold as guaranteed singers. Testing canaries is difficult and requires 
both patience and training, yet on a clear, sunny day, when the birds 
sing more freely and can be more clearlv seen, an expert will some- 
times mark 500 cages. 

In the breeding of canaries song has not been the only desideratum, 
but has shared consideration with shape and color. The potency of 
artilicial selection is as well shown in this pursuit as in the i-earing of 
fancy pigeons, and some quite as distorted shapes are produced. Thus 
Belgium has succeeded in giving to the world a big canary with broad 
shoulders abnormally raised above the small head. And Scotland has 
produced a type^ — the Scotch fancy canary- — that is bent like a bow. so 
that when the bird is at rest on a perch a line drawn from bill to tip 
of tail would pass well in front of the feet. Other abnormal products 
of breeders"" ingenuity are the Yorkshire canary, very long and very 
slim, and the Lancashire or Manchester coppy, well proportioned, but 
a very giant among canaries. 

Still other fancv varieties are the Norwich canary, at present a 
popular favorite, ths London fancy canar}', the border fancy canary, 
and the lizard canary, a dark bird with gold or silver spangles and 
yellow crown. All these are further subdivided b}' breeders and 
fanciers. Norwich canaries and Manchester coppies are frequently 
ornamented M'ith crests. Endowing with a crest a bird that has none 
nuturalh' is striking evidence of the possibilities of artiticial selection. 



174 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPAHTMEiS'T OF AGRICULTURE. 

The diversity is furtlier auj^-mented by color possibilities. All 
canaries are either "yellow" or "buff.'' These are technical terms, 
however, and arc soujewhat misleading. A yellow (or jonque) canary 
is one whose plumage is lustrous; a buff' (or mealy) one is one whose 
plumage is dull and has a frosted appearance. Cinnamon canaries with 
piidv eyes, and green and piebald canaries also, are bred, and a few 
decades ago it was discovered that by feeding young canaries freely on 
cayenne pepper the yellow could be deepened into a rich orange. The 
combinations offered by these different characteristics are very numer- 
ous, and when to them are added the results of hybridizing with other 
species — goldfinch, linnet, siskin, and others — as is done for the pro- 
duction of the nuich-prized " mules," unlimited possibilities seem to 
open out before the breeder. In breeding for shape and color, singing" 
qualities are neglected, and canaries in which these are so highly 
developed often have little left of the sweet song that was the chief 
cause of their original domestication. 

In view of the great number of varieties that have been produced 
and the differences in style and quality of song, and taking into con- 
sideration also the patience, care, and skill bestowed by breeders in 
producing and maintaining at an established standard the various 
results of their work, it is not surprising to find great ditferences in 
the prices of canaries. Ordinary male canaries may be bought for 
$1.50 to p2 apiece at retail, and from this the prices rise, through 
Norwich, Yorkshire, lizard, Manchester, and Belgian canaries in order, 
and reach in the last a wholesale rate of $80 to $50 a pair. Song pro- 
duction has not been led into bizarre channels, and that beautj^ of song 
is more highly estimated than odd shape is shown by the fact that 
one of the finest singers among the "rollers" may command as much 
as $1.50. 

PARROTS. 

So far as known, the first introduction of parrots into Europe 
occurred in the fourth century B. C, when, it is related, one of the 
gen(>rals of Alexanders army, returning from India, lu'ought with 
him specimens of the ring-neck(>d parrakeet. These parrakeets, which 
were called "Alexandrian parrakeets," after the monarch in whose 
reign they were introduced, are still very popular with bird-fanciers, 
and are so common in India that sailors continually bring them to 
Europe and America. They are docile, and while slow in acquiring 
speech, finally make excellent talkers. Roman writers inform us that 
they were not eaten in India, but were held .sacred because of their 
ability to reproduce human speech. 

African parrots were brought to Rome in the time of Nero from 
beyond upper Egypt, where they had been discovered by explorers. 
They were highly prized, l)oth as pets and as table delicacies, by the 



CAGE-BIRD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED 8TATES. 175 

Romans, who kept tlieni in cages of tovtoise-yhell and ivory with silver 
wires, and often paid more for one than for a slave. 

The earliest knowledge we have of the keeping of West African 
parrots as pets in Europe dates back to 1455, when Senegal parrots 
were first introduced. American parrots owe their introduction into 
the Old ^Vorld to Columbus, who carried a few back with him on his 
return from his first voyage to America. They were among the 
o])jects of interest when he made his formal entry into Seville on 
March 31, 111)3. Five years later the Portuguese circumnavigated 
the Cape of Good Hope, subjugated a part of India, and reintroduced 
the Indian parrots into Europe. 

The most popular parrots are the little green Australian parrakeets, 
variously known as shell or grass parrakeets, budgerigars, or love 
birds. These birds, familiar on the city streets in the capacity of 
fortune-tellers and performers of tricks, are retailed in this country 
at $1 or $5 a pair. Thev are among the easiest of all foreign birds to 
breed and are raised in large num))ers in Europe, from which source 
come many of the birds brought to the United States. In the year 
ending June 30, 1900, we imported 5,3.s7 to suppl}' the demand, includ- 
ing a few of a 3'ellow variety produced by the breeders of Belgium 
and France. Shell parrakeets are easily transported from Australia, 
owing to their ability to exist for long periods without water, and 
have freciuently been carried to Europe in sailing vessels, making a 
three or four months' voyage, without ])eing supplied with water. 

Cuban parrots have recentl}^ risen in favor and several thousand 
were needed to meet the year's demand. These medium-sized green, 
red, and blue birds with whitish crowns make fairly good talkers, and 
sell at wholesale for $21 to $27 a dozen. 

Auiazons from Mexico and Central and South America, which aver- 
age $6 apiece at wholesale, are favorites among the larger parrots. 
They are known as blue-fronted, red-fronted, yellow heads, double- 
3^ellow heads, etc., according to the markings of the head. The blue- 
fronted amazons seem to he preferred in Europe; but the double- 
yellow heads make the best talkers, and when well trained command 
prices ranging as high as several hundred dollars apiece. 

The African gray parrots are probal^ly unrivaled in ability to repro- 
duce human speech, and have been popular pets in Europe since the 
Middle Ages. Unfortunately they do not stand transfer very well 
and the great majority of the few imported die soon after arrival. 

The larger parrots have not 3'et learned to ttiik when they arrive, 
and, as a rule, a^e disposed of at once to retailers. By these they are 
often taught by means of specially constructed graphophones, wdiich 
automatically repeat, for hours at a time, selected words, phrases, or 
songs. 



176 riiAKBOuK Oh' THE DEPARTiMEiS"T OF AGRICULTURE. 

Parrots often uttaiti oreat age — gray pariots have been known 
to live ninety years. The}^ display affection and intelligence, and 
make very interesting, albeit somewhat nois}^ pets. They should be 
allowed frequent liberty from the cage for exercise, where it is 
feasible; and the}^ are much pleased and benefited by simple toys with 
which to relieve the tedium of confinement — an empty spool, a piece 
of tape fastened to the wire of the cage, or some similar object. 

Macaws, large birds with glaring reds, blues, 3'ellows, and greens 
in their coloration and with voices to match, are secured in tropical 
America; a few lories are brought from the Pacific regions; and many 
cockatoos from Australia and neighboring islands. Of the last the 
rose cockatoo from the ]\Ioluccas seems to be preferred. Nearly 800 
were imported during the year. Both macaws and cockatoos are difii- 
cult to handle. Their powerful beaks are weapons not to be despised, 
and are used so freely that specially strong cages and perches are 
needed to withstand their destructive attacks. Macaws were greatly 
prized as pets by the Peruvians before the Spanish conquist. 

The little yellow-crested cockateels from Australia seem to win less 
favor here than in England, where they are fairl}^ common in avia- 
ries, while but 30 or 40 seem to be enough to suppl}" our annual needs. 
They retail here at $8 apiece and in England at about $2.50 a pair, a 
dirterence in price that may partly account for the difl'erence in favor. 

EUHOPEAN BIRDS. 

The European birds ordinarily imported are sold at wholesale for §9 
a dozen, with two exceptions — siskins, plain-colored birds, Avhich are 
usualh^ secured for crossing with canaries and which bring onl}" |6 a 
dozen, and trained or ''piping" bullfinches, which command $15 each. 
The handsome goldfinches are easily first in popular estimation, as is 
shown by the fact that 5,000 are annually brought in. Of bullfinches, 
1,500, mostly untrained, entered during the year. More than a 
thousand each of siskins and linnets are imported each 3'ear and several 
hundred skylarks and chaffinches. Song thrushes, blackbirds, and 
black-caps show some degree of popularity; and so doubtless would 
the robin red})reast — the true robin of our nursery tales and jingles — 
were it easier to keep alive in confinement. Nearly a hundred night- 
ingales are annually brought across the ocean, but very few ever again 
utter the song that has })ecome so famous. Their silence is a mute but 
ekxpient protest against their captivity, and serves to i-emind us that 
in caging a bird we do not necessarily cage its song. 



OHIEXTAL BIRD 



The Orient furnishes several of the most popular cage birds — Java 
sparrows, of which we imported 6,285 in the year ending Jime 80, 1906; 



CAUE-BIKD TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES. 177 

Japanese robins, of which 4,531) were broug-ht in; flapane.se nuns (jf 
various kinds, which aggregated 1,780; and strawberry finches, of which 
1.280 were needed to supply the demand. 

Java sparrows, also known as paddy or rice birds because of their 
destructive work in rice fields, are hardy and breed freely in captivity. 
Their general color is a soft bluish grav, set off by the red bill and 
conspicuous white marking about the face. A white variety has 
been produced in the Orient. These retail for $3.50 each, while the 
grays bring only $1.50 apiece. Pure whites are not very common — 
in most white birds more or less of the blue-gray appears. Java 
sparrows were among the earliest foreign birds imported both in Europe 
and the United States, and those procured for the trade arc, like 
canaries, chiefly cage-V>red birds. The Japanese now breed these 
birds in large numbers. In order to increase production they raise 
the 3'oung by hand, feeding them with a sort of spoon cut from a thin 
bamboo splint. The old birds, thus relieved of the care of their young, 
are free to breed again at once. 

Japanese robins, usually called Pekin nightingales by English avi- 
culturists (who know our cardinals as Virginia nightingales), were 
imported to the number of 4,539. They are peculiarly colored — dark 
and greenish with distinctive yellow^ and orange on breast, bill, and 
wings. They arc easy to keep, possess a sweet and musical song, and 
have a song period of ten months, which contrasts favorably with those 
of most cage-birds, the nightingale, for example, which, when it sings 
at all, is in song for only two months. They are native in China, Japan, 
and India, and were first brought to England about 1866 and to the 
United States ten or fifteen 3H^ars later. They retail at $4 each. 

Nuns are small birds of difi'erent species, such as the black-headed, 
white-headed, and tricolored nuns, the spicebird or chestnut finch, and 
others. Most of them have more or less dark brown in the coloring. 
A pure white variet}" and a bufl' and white variety of one species — the 
Japanese nun, also known as bengalee or mannikin — l)ear testimony to 
the assiduit}" of Japanese ])reeders. 

An attractive singer that seems to be growing in popularity is the 
shama thrush from India. Its song suggests by turns those of catbii'd, 
bobolink, and brown thrasher, but contains some clear mellow tones 
not in the repertoire of those singers. 

A few bull)uls are brought from India, mainly red-vented bull)uls, 
but including other kinds. These do not include, however, the famous 
bulbul of Persia, the oriental counterpart of the European nightingale, 
and they add comparatively little to the total number of songsters 
imported. 

The hill minas of India, like parrots, can be taught to talk, but very- 
few ai-e imported. These retail at $17 apiece. 



178 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



AFRICAN HIKI)8. 



Most of the cag'e-birds from Africa, which are brought to London, 
Liverpool, Marseille, Bordeaux, and other European ports in immense 
numbers, are secured for beauty of plumage, not song. The African 
weavers, 994 of which were imported during the year, in addition to 
attractive coloring offer an interesting exhibition of their skill in the 
art that has given them their name. At nesting time, if furnished with 
worsted or other suitable material, they will weave this in and out of 
the wires of their cages, making neat and compact examples of their 
handiwork. Bishops and Madagascar weavers are brilliant red and 
black in coloring, cut-throats have a band of red across the throat, 
from which is derived the name, and whidah birds (incorrectly called 
"widow" birds) have extremely long tails. The group furnishes an 
instance in which one family contains both bishops and cut-throats. 
A Napoleon also figures among its members, and all are frequently 
associated with Japanese nuns and Brazilian cardinals. 

Waxl)ills numbered 555 in the year's importations. These include 
the dainty little cordon bleu, or crimson-eared waxbill, various species 
of silverbills, and several other kinds. The violet-eared waxbill, a 
bird of radiant, prismatic beauty, is brought to England, but has 
apparently not yet come to the United States. The tiny zebra finches, 
easy to keep and breeding readily in captivity, are favorites with the 
bird-keeping public, 591 coming in during the year. African siskins 
are also somewhat popular, and a small but increasing number of edel- 
singers, or African gray singers, one of the few African species that 
have a pleasing song, are imported annuall}'. 

African l)irds generally bruig $1.50 a pair at wholesale. Most of 
them have light, unmusical, but not disagreeable, notes, and being 
bright and active, give life to room or aviary where they are confined. 
While the breeding time of most of them is during our winter (the 
seasons being reversed south of the equator), many of the little immi- 
grants adapt themselves readily to the changed conditions and breed 
in the summer of the North Temperate Zone. 



AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Ordinarj^ Australian birds also sell for $1.50 a pair wholesale. Of 
these, apart from shell parrakeets, diamond sparrows are imported in 
the largest numbers, the year's supply being 332. 

Australia is notable, however, for its charming Lad}' Gould finches, 
which, perhaps, reach the highest point of beaut}' and elegance attained 
by any of the smaller cage-birds of the world (see PI. IX). Few are 
sold in this countr}^ possibly because of their high price — $9 to $10 a 
pair at wholesale — and because they are difficult to keep (an English 
fancier says of them that they suffer all the ills that beset other cage- 
birds and several special ones of their own). They are highly prized 



Yearbook U. S, Dept. of Agriculture, 1906. 



Plate IX. 





,«|V (f 






iWS^Nl. 



"f 




Lady Gould Finch. 



CAGE-BIED TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED STATES. 179 

in England, where they have been bred a number of times. The main 
reason for their unusual mortality seems to be improper treatment. 
Because they come from the warm climate of Australia, they are 
usually kept where they have plenty of sunlight. As a matter of fact, 
however, as recentl}" pointed out by a writer in '"Bird Notes,'"' they 
inhabit dense scrub, and in their natural habitat avoid the direct rays 
of the sun. To place them in a small cage in the sunlight is a very 
effective method of destroying them. Lad}" Gould tinches are attract- 
ive in their waj^s as well as in appearance. They tame readih', are 
not pugnacious with cage mates, and exhibit many individualities of 
disposition. The}" have a very interesting little dance that sometimes 
forms a part of their courtship." 

BIRDS FKOM SOUTH AMERICA, MEXICO, AXI) CUBA. 

Omitting parrots, gray cardinals are the principal cage-birds 
imported from South America. In England these vie in favor with 
our own cardinal, from which they differ in being gray in color, with 
no red excepting about the head. During the last fiscal 3'ear we 
imported -ioo, which were retailed at»$3.50 each. A number of differ- 
ent species of small birds are annualh" brought from Mexico and 
Cuba, but none in important numbers except tomeguinos, known also 
as grassquits or melodious Cuban tinches and olive Cuban finches, 
according to species. These sell for $1.50 a pair wholesale, and 665 
entered during the 3'ear. 

BIRDS BRED IN CAPTIVITY. 

In Europe, as has been stated, great interest is manifested in breed- 
ing cage-birds. This interest attaches to the propagation, not only of 
rare birds, but of many species that are commonly found in aviaries. 
There is a great difference in the ease with which birds may be bred 
in captivity. Some, such as shell parrakeets, zebra tinches, Java spar- 
rows, strawberry tinches, and our own bluebirds and indigo birds, breed 
readily and their young can be raised without much ditticulty. But 
some of the parrots and small cage-birds refuse to mate, others will 
not sit on their eggs, and others yet neglect theii" young. To breed 
such species requires nuich patience and ingenuity, and success is valued 
accordingly. In the United States, where bird-fanciers are few and 
lack association, there is not the same general interest in the breeding 
of captive birds. Few Oriental birds other than Java sparrows and 
but few of the small cage-birds from Africa and Australia have been 
successfully bred in the United States. Among the more important 
birds that have been reared in this countiy are the canar}", shell par- 
rakeet, black-crested mina, all-green parrakeet, gray parrakeet, cocka- 
teel, graceful iground-dove, barred-shoulder dove, zebra finch, white 

«See a detailed account of this dance by Captain Perreau in "Bird Notes" for 
November, 1905, Vol. IV, No. 8, p. 203. 



ISO 



YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



J:i\;i sparrow, ^ray Ja\ii spurrow. cutthroat tiiu-h, and saffron tinch. 
Sonu' livl)rid.s have been prodvieed by breeding canaries with gold- 
Hnclies. linnets, and other birds, thus; .securing well-known and greatly 
valued mules. 



OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICAN l.NTERPRISE, 

The large and rapidly growing demand tor canaries and other cage-' 
birds that has sprung up in the United States and that is now satisfied 
l)y importations from abroad suggests the possibility of establishing 
the industry of raising birds for market on this side of the Atlantic. 
It is more than likel}^ that interest in the keeping of cage-birds will 
continue to spread, and that its growth will i esult iii the development 
of societies, periodicals, annual shows, and othei' features that mark 
its advance in Europe. Breeding canaries for market brings, as has 
been shown, several hundred thousand dollars annually to the peasants 
of the Harz ^Mountains of Germany; canaries of fancy shapes that com- 
mand high prices are regularly ])red in England, Scotland, Belgium, and 
other countries; and it is important to note that in nearl}^ every instance 
{ he ])ursuit is carried on as an adjunct to some other occupation. There 
is no reason why the American market should not be supplied by 
American breeders. The need already exists; imported birds are not 
so well adapted to our climate as those raised here, and home produc- 
tion would obviate the large losses incident to the ocean vo3"age. 

Many difficulties must be met. Captive birds are subject to numer- 
ous diseases and, under the most favorable circumstances, require 
careful treatment. Attention to diet is important, particularly iii the 
case of soft-billed birds, whose food is chiefly insects. Questions of 
.suitable temperature for aviaries, of securing sufficient open-air exer- 
cise without undue exposure, of preventing destruction of birds or 
their eggs by cage-mates, of inducing birds to breed, and many other 
problems constantly tax the patience and skill of the aviculturist; and 
owing to climatic differences between Europe and America nian}^ of 
these questions would doubtless have to be settled anew. 

But American ingenuity and energy should be able to meet and 
overcome all obstacles and establish the business on a pajang basis. 
Due weight should be given the fact that the experiment requires 
Jittle capital. It can easily be started at small expense and extended 
only as the proffts justify extension. The held is a i)romising one. 
The success attending cage-bird breeding in Europe, the great demand 
for birds as pets in this country revealed b}^ our large importations, 
the superior value of those bred in America, and the facility with 
which the business can ho established and maintained offer strong 
inducements to American enterprise. 



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